Listen — I miss the Crown Victoria as much as you all do. It was a great American car with great American character, and its sheer ubiquity as a law enforcement vehicle added quite a bit to its charm. But we all really need to start coping with the fact that it's gone.

In the Panther's place, Ford claims to have a genuine hit on their hands with the Taurus and Explorer Police Interceptor models. The company told Jalopnik this morning that monthly orders averaged 1,535 cars per month last year, which jumped to 3,000 in January. They now have orders and contracts with agencies in all 50 states, and interestingly enough, the ratio of orders for sedans and SUVs is about 50/50.

It's still probably too early to tell which of the three new police cars will dominate the market, but in the meantime, you would do well to keep an eye out for Tauruses and Explorers if you're inclined to do a bit of speeding. Ford seems to be well on their way to replacing the Crown Vic.